Using electric car chargers at home and the office has made my life easier. I mostly charge at home and use the office charger occasionally. At first, I tried a regular wall outlet at home, but charging took 30 hours. Now, with my home charger, it only takes 5 hours to fully charge. The 5-hour charging time suits me a lot more!
I usually start charging when the battery is below 30% or if I have a long drive planned for the next day. This takes about 4-5 hours. The smart charging feature adjusts to electricity market rates. It calculates how long a full charge will take and schedules charging during the cheapest hours. I plan to leave by 7:00, so the app uses NordPool data to only charge my EV during the most cost-effective times.
At my country house, I’ve set up a 16A power socket and use a Type 2 to 32A charging adapter with a 32A to 16A adapter. This ensures I always have a way to charge at my main stops.
For longer trips, I rely on fast-charging stations, conveniently located and discoverable through the PlugShare app. When searching for hotels or accommodations, I filter my options using a simple criterion: Facilities/Electric vehicle charging station – this narrows down my choices to places offering electric car charging services – Booking.com has this feature available. However, experience has taught me the importance of double-checking this service with each stop. I’ve even encountered a “charging service” that consisted of a standard 230V outlet in a parking lot. While it might be useful for a long charge, it’s far from adequate as the charging session can be as long as 30 hours.
All in all, living with an electric car is an exhilarating experience. Charging is a breeze. It’s advisable to begin by establishing charging options at your regular stops. In this endeavor, the expertise of dedicated e-mobility specialists proves invaluable.
Quickly, the habit of considering charging opportunities in our daily routines takes root. During extended drives, occasional “fuel station” stops are inevitable. On average, these stops add about 20 minutes to our journey. Rather than eating in the car, we’ve adjusted to dining at a table during these brief breaks, and within just 30 minutes at a robust fast charger, we’re sufficiently recharged to continue our journey. And now, it’s evident that we can proceed with the same peace of mind even in Arctic temperatures.
